Baby back rest



Jan. 15, 1957 R. D. GALLAGHER BABY BACK REST Filed Nov. 20, 1953 R m 6 E4 4 G 0 7 Z B M 0 e 4 ATTOE/VE YS.

United States Patent BABY BACK REST Rodney D. Gallagher, Hamlet, Nebr.

Application November 20, 1953, Serial No. 393,304

1 Claim. (Cl. -327) This invention relates to back rests, and more particularly to an improved baby back rest adapted to support a small baby in an upright position on an underlying support, such as a bassinet, baby bed, play pen, or the like.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved baby back rest which is simple in construction, which is easy to set up, and which is foldable to a compact condition for transportation or storage.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved baby back rest which is inexpensive to manufacture, which is sturdy in construction, and which may be readily and easily set up in a suitable position to support a small baby with a substantial degree of comfort.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view showing an improved baby back rest according to the present invention operatively set up and supporting a baby therein.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the baby back rest of Figure 1, shown adjusted to a diiferent position than that shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the baby back rest in the position of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a channeled bracket member employed with a fastening strap of the baby back rest of Figures 1 to 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a pad member which may be employed with the baby back rest of Figures 1 to 4.

Referring to the drawings, the improved back rest is designated generally at 11 and comprises a rigid rectangular base frame 12 having the longitudinal side members 13, 13 and the transverse end members 14 and 15. Designated at 16 is a rigid concave board member which is provided at one end with the apertured pivot bracket 17. The frame 12 is formed with the upstanding apertured flanges 18, 18 at the inner edges of the longitudinal elements 13, 13, and the board 16 is hinged to the ends of said flanges by rivets 19 engaged through the ends of the flanges and through the apertured pivot lugs 17. Thus, the board 16 is hinged to the frame 12 for rotation from a nested position wherein the board 16 is received between the flanges 18 to an upstanding position wherein the board is at an acute angle to the frame 12.

Pivoted to the intermediate portions of the longitudinal side margins of the board 16 are the respective strut rods 20, said strut rods being formed at their ends with the laterally projecting lug portions 21 which are engageable in selected apertures 22 of the flanges 18, 18. Thus, the strut rods 20 may be detachably secured to the flanges 18, 18 with the laterally projecting portions 21 of the strut rods engaged in selected apertures 22 of the flanges to support the board in a relatively steeply inclined position, such as shown in Figure l, or in a position of lesser inclination, such as that shown in Figure 2.

The side marginal portions of the board 16 are formed with respective spaced slots 24 adapted to receive the end portions of a first flexible strap member 25, said flexible strap member being provided at its opposite end portions with the buckles 26 whereby the strap member 25 may be adjustably secured to the side marginal portions of the board to receive the upper portion of the body of a baby in the manner illustrated in Figure 1. The strap member 25 may be adjusted in accordance with the size of the baby so as to support the baby, as illustrated in Figure 1, against the concave board 16.

Designated at 27 is a flexible crotch strap extending through the first slot 28 at one lower side marginal portion of the board 16, through a slot 29 arranged parallel to the transverse end member 15 of the frame 12, and around the bottom edge of the board, as shown in Figure 3, and through a slot 30 at the opposite lower side marginal portion of board 16. Anchoring buckles 31 are provided on the end portions of the crotch strap 27 so that said strap may be adjustably secured to the board to provide sufficient clearance to receive the legs of the baby so as to support the babys legs against the lower portion of the board 16 in the manner illustrated in Figure 1.

Secured to the intermediate portions of the respective longitudinal side elements 13, 13 of the frame 12 are the respective flexible anchoring straps 33, 33, said straps being looped through slots 34 provided in the members 13, 13 and being looped through slots 35 provided in the main wall portions 36 of respective rigid channeled bracket members 37. The straps 33 are provided with the adjusting buckles 38, whereby the effective lengths of the straps may be adjusted in accordance with the desired width of the underlying support member to which the back rest is to be secured. As shown in Figure 4, the bracket members 37 are provided with the hook flanges 39 extending parallel to the main body portions 36 of the brackets for engagement with the side marginal portions 40, 40 of an underlying support member, such as a bassinet, plan pen floor, or the like.

A suitable pad 43, such as that illustrated in Figure 5,

may be employed on the concave surface of the board 16, said pad being provided with the fastening tie mem bers 44, such as flexible tapes, strings, or the like, which may be fastened together at the rear side of the concave board 16 to secure the cushioning pad to the concave side of said board.

It will be readily apparent that the inclination of the board 16 may be adjusted to any desired angle by ongaging the laterally extending end portions 21, 21 of the start rods 20 in selected apertures 22 of flanges 18. When the baby back rest is not in use, it may be folded to a flat condition by disengaging the strut rods 20 from the flanges 18 and allowing the board 16 to be nested between flanges 18, 18.

While a specific embodiment of an improved baby back rest has been described in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim,

What is claimed is:

A baby back rest comprising a rigid base frame, upstanding apertured flanges on the respective side margins of the base frame, a rigid outwardly concave board hingedly connected to an end margin of said base frame for rotation around said margin toward and away from said base frame, said concave board being of suflicient width to be nestingly received between said flanges, respective strut rods pivotally connected to the respective side marginal portions of said board, respective lateral projections on the ends of said strut rods engageable in selected apertures of said flanges for detachably connecting the ends of said strut rods to the respective apertured flanges of the base frame to support said board in a selected upstanding position with respect to said base frame, a first flexible supporting strap adjustably secured to the side marginal portions of the board and extending across said board, a single flexible crotch strap extending from one lower side marginal portion of the board slidably throughv the intermediate portion of the lower end of the board and to the other lower side marginal portion of the board, means adjustably securing the ends of the crotch strap to said side marginal portions for supporting a baby against said board, respective additional adjustable flexible straps secured to the respective longitudinal sides of the base frame, and respective rigid channeled bracket members secured to the ends of said last-named straps for fastening said base frame to the opposite side edges of an underlying support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 642,236 Larimer Ian. 30, 1900 1,195,903 Biggins Aug. 22, 1916 1,447,486 Schafer et al Mar. 6, 1923 2,133,223 Brightman et al Oct. 11, 1938 2,250,026 Laukhufi July 22, 1941 2,344,031 De Shano Mar. 14, 1944 2,647,561 Szabo Aug. 4, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 599,871 Great Britain Mar. 23, 1948 

